The Sunday herald., 1887-01-09
A CHAT ABOUT THE IDEALS.
Hanager Foster Talks About HIS En-.
terprlse-Hfs New Artists and His
RepertOry.


A Representative of THE HERALD found Manager
Foster, of the Boston Ideals, In genial mood at the
New National one evening last week, and In quiet
half-hours chat induced him Incidentally to dis
course OF the history, the aims, and the personnel
OF his troupe. The manager, as said before, is
genial and good-!ooking gentleman Of apparently
some ihirty-odd summers The cares of manage
ment seem to rest lightly and with grace upon his
shoulders. There Is much bonhonnlte in his man
ner, and some little eblbonpofnt In his outline. AT
an olfhand SUNDAY HERALD estimate we should
say there about 200 pounds OF clever and capa.
be irnpreSsarfo symmetricaly slowed away in his
immaculate dress snit. In speaking OF his profes.
sion there Is an earnest eoquence in his utterances
which shows how thoroughly his heart is in his
work AS the conversation progressed occasional
strains Of song, smothered In bursts OF enthusiastic
applause, broke upon the air, but they were inter-
ruptions sweet to the managerial car.
"What have made my object from the nrst,"
said Mr.. Foster, "hss been to keep the standard OF
the works In the repertoire of the Ideals well as
the artistic excellence Of the company, at the highest
point possible ] em often asked why do not bring
out this that the other iocaled OPERA some pass
Ing fancy of the hour usually bouhe buresque horse
play possibly, the last Gilbert and Sullivan fad
But cant allow myself 10 do that sort of thing
The repertoire OF the Ideals embraces such names
as Auber, Donizetti, Flotow, Balfe, Halevy, and
their peers. 1t will go higher before 1t goes lower.
Bizet, Ambrose Thomas-but we shall see. There
is reld ioT en- opera company in America giving
| such hlgh-class work exclusively, and the Ideals
! propose to continue TO occupy It.
"Then In the matter Of the personnel Of the
| troupe-yoa know what 1t has been. Well, don't
| intend there shall be any falling of from the old
standard and you for yourself the sort OF talent
| am constantly adding. For one thing, doubt n
there is another organization on the road whose
salary list averages with mine. ! have six'y-nve
people with me, and they are all artists, and paid
accordingly. From chorus singers up believe II
pays to have people who are worth paying well.
! Now, for Instance, how many persons In the aver
age audience know or care anything about the COM
position of IN orchestra? Well, bring my orches-
ira with me, and l'so got couple OF french-horn
players In 1t that pay 1850 Per year. just walt
| Ill you hear my musicians play the FRA Diavolo
| overture Monday night-you know what that is and
then see what YOU tGink OF them. Musicians know
and appreciate details Ike these, but OF course much
OF 1t Is lost upon the general public.
"speaklng OF FRA Diayoo,' next Monday, don't
think It's east has ever been equaed In this country
Nile de Lussan Ia admirable as ZeriHd, her sing
ing Delightful and her acting full of Hairete and
grace. The way b,,e gives the bed'chaInber scene
| Is as charming as II Is psgc!. Lablache's Lady
Ahodsh is all life and ylyacIiy; Tne two tenors,
| Kari and Lawtop, sing DiapolO and Lorenzo; Nor.
| Gwski and CLARK, Eeppo and Giacomo, and as for
BarnGbee's LOrd AHcasb vol, you've seen him
try to hang himself With the tel-clohes, haven't
you? ! don't think that east IN lis en,lreIy can
easily be beaten"
In answer to an inquiry from The HERALD, MI
| Foster continued:
| "Yes, es their names denote, De Lussan and
| LaD!ache aye bDlg French. Nile, de Lussan IS the
daughter OF Drima dOrda OF no little distinction
in her day, who made her daughters musical edu
cation the purpose OF her laer le. When THIS
gifted young lady, therefore, grst stepped upon Tho
operate boards, It was with the case, the dpionb
The spirit, the ire, the command OF all the resources
Of her art, which usually come to an artist only
af.e. long years Of toll. never saw anything IKE
II. From ,hIs wonderful beginning her progress
and improvement ma been equally wonderful
for she Is a hard student and pass.oag.ey devoted
70 her profession. Nile Lab!acne comes royalty by
her heritage OF song For two generations before
her the name sii bears has been famous 10 the
annals OF art. she mas al TIE French grace anc
plquancy in her acting, as you See aad slngs IKE
the ARTIST by birth and training that abe u. Moraw
sk Is Pole Mo has won an enylable reputation In
oratorlo in New YORK aud Boston, where his grand
basso credited positive furofe .C The 'Redemp
tlon.' Lewton was until recently the leading tenor
in the marble cathedral Fifth avenue, whose grea
arches his voice made flsg again. Banbrdge Is mJ
nsy baritone, and good one, ana Marie Stone, Mac
Donald, Kari, BaTnabee, and Clark-well, judging BY
the way you WasAingionlans receive them, appar
emily you KNOW them OF gll and Ike them pretty
well; and you ought TO-"
Perhaps this isn't quite all Manager Poster said,
nor well as he said II, but II had some such moral
and TnE HERALD man went back into the theatre
Win i keener appreciation OF the excellent music
for what he had usi heard about II.